View source for Mohandiseen

{{Infobox settlement
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<!-- Basic info  ---------------->| name                     = Mohandessin
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| native_name              = المهندسين <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
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| subdivision_name1        = [[Giza Governorate]]
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| timezone                 = [[Egypt Standard Time|EST]]
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'''Mohandiseen''' ({{Langx|ar|المهندسين}} ''{{transl|arz|Al-Mohandisīn}}''&nbsp; {{IPA|arz|almohændɪˈsiːn|pron}}, "The Engineers") is a major 1940s sub-division project originally named '''Madinat al-Awqaf''',<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Keller |first1=Thomas |last2=Polach |first2=Tomas |date=2010 |title=Mohandessin |url=https://archive.arch.ethz.ch/studio-basel/projects/cairo/student-work/mohandessin.html |access-date=2023-01-08 |website=ETH Basel}}</ref> and made up most of the Wasat (middle) district in the city of [[Giza]], before being divided in 1997 into the districts of [[Agouza]] (covers most of the district) and [[Dokki]] (Covers half of the district). Al-Mohandessin in Arabic literally means ''the engineers'', after one of the sub-districts that was sold to the Engineers' Syndicate cooperative, and becoming the [[Colloquialism|colloquial]] name for most of the Agouza side.
== History ==
Mohandessin used to be a mostly royal and state-owned agricultural estate held under ''[[waqf]]'' (endowment) until the early 20th Century with villages, such as [[Mit Okba]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mīt 'Uqba - Tadamun |url=http://www.tadamun.co/?post_type=city&p=260&amp;lang=en&lang=en#.Y7s6ahWZO3A |access-date=2023-01-08}}</ref> and ''[[Joseph Hekekyan|<nowiki/>'izbas]]'' (hamlets) such as al-Hutiyya, and 'Awlad Allam.<ref>{{Cite web |title='Izbit Awlād 'Allām - Tadamun |url=http://www.tadamun.co/?post_type=city&p=4562&amp;lang=en&lang=en#.Y7s6ZxWZO3A |access-date=2023-01-08}}</ref> From the 1930s the [[Ministry of Awqaf (Egypt)|Ministry of Awqaf]], that owned the land, had piloted plans to turn the estates into a new suburban district of Cairo as [[Dokki]] to its south flourished. In 1948, its chief architect [[Mahmoud Riad (Architect)|Mahmoud Riad]] set out the final plan of Madinat al-Awqaf, with plots being advertised for sale that year.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Volait |first=Mercedes |url=https://shs.hal.science/halshs-03501411 |title=Early experiments with subsidised housing: Mahmoud Riad's garden suburbs 1950-54 |date=2022 |publisher=Jovis |isbn=978-3-86859-723-3 |language=en}}</ref> The new district was subdivided into a number of large plots sold at subsidised prices - after the [[Egyptian revolution of 1952|July 1952 Revolution]] - to twenty [[Housing cooperative|housing cooperatives]] representing professional syndicates with over two thousand members, including those set up for the military, navy, police, judges, medical doctors (Aṭibbā’), radio and television (Madinat al-'ilam), journalists (Ṣaḥafiyyīn), teachers (Mu‘allimīn), and engineers (Madinat al-Mohandessin).<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Shawkat |first=Yahia |title=Egypt's Housing Crisis: The Shaping of Urban Space |publisher=AUC Press |year=2020 |location=Cairo and New York |pages=128–129}}</ref>  Large land plots of 500 to 1,000 square meters were sold after a 30 percent discount, which the Awqaf bore, at [[Egyptian pound|LE]] 2–3 per square meter, paid off over fifteen years without interest, while members of the cooperatives were able to access soft loans to build at 3 percent interest.<ref name=":0" />
== Today ==
[[File:Mohandeseen protests.jpg|thumb|The up-scale Mohandeseen district in [[Giza]] during the [[Timeline of the 2011 Egyptian revolution under Hosni Mubarak's rule#28 January.E2.80.94Friday of Anger|Friday of Anger]]. Violent clashes occurred here between the protesters and the security forces which occupied the bridge on the left, involving stone-throwing, [[Molotov cocktails]], rubber bullets and tear gas grenades.]]
Today we know the area simply as Mohandiseen based on the Engineers’ City cooperative housing sub-district planned and built by leading architects of the time,<ref name=":0" /> while administratively it forms most of the [[Agouza]] and part of the [[Dokki]], districts.
A major street that is intersecting the neighborhood called ''Gam'et el Duwal el Arabya'' ([[Arab League]] Blvd.).
The main shopping area in Mohandiseen is called Sour Nadi el Zamalik, which is a magnetic location for Arab Tourists that visit Cairo in the summer and on vacations. Also a new state of the art mall in Shehab street was constructed and currently operating, it is called Platinum Mall.
Several sporting clubs are also to found there, including [[Tersana]], [[El Zamalek]], and The Shooting Club (or The Hunting Club, Nadi 'L Seid).
There are also over 20 hospitals in the neighborhood with the main one being Al Salam hospital on the main road.
Mohandiseen, is considered to be one of the most prestigious and expensive areas in Greater Giza.
==Economy==
The head office of [[Ezz Steel]] is in Mohandiseen.<ref>"[http://www.ezzindustries.com/main.asp?pageID=9 Contact Information]." [[Ezz Steel]]. Retrieved on 7 May 2013. "10 Shehab Street Mohandessin Cairo Egypt"</ref>
== Lifestyle ==
Although Mohandessin does not have as much monuments and [[history of Egypt|historical]] buildings as other districts in [[Giza]], it enjoys being a leading district in shops, restaurants and cafés. Most international [[Chain store|franchises]], which opened in Egypt, with over 200 stores operating 18 hours a day. There are several cinemas in Mohandiseen catering to the district's population.
The [[Arab League]] Boulevard, located in central Mohandessin is considered Giza's notable [[red-light district]] along with Haram avenue, both are considered main attractions for tourists.
Mohandessin is home to many foreign [[foreign relations of Egypt|embassies]] in Egypt.
Since 2014, Mohandessin also hosts [[Cairo Contemporary Dance Center]], an independent space for [[contemporary dance]] in Egypt, hosting the first Contemporary Dance school in Africa and the [[Arab world]].
When it comes to Religion & Spirituality, Mohandessin hosts a diverse population which required several [[Mosque]]s and [[Church (building)|Churches]], yet the majority of the residents adopt Islam, with several important mosques located there, such as Chazliya Mosque, and Mostafa Mahmoud Mosque, as well as Tarik Ibn-Al Walid Mosque.
Yet in Major Celebrations, the rich residents of Mohandesin tend to pray in the Shooting Club Mosque, while the surrounding poorer areas of Mohandesin, pray in the Larger Mostafa Mahmoud Mosque.
[[File:Mohandesin-final.PNG|thumb|300px|Map of Mohandiseen and Greater Mohandessin  in Giza]]{{Outdated|part=District map|date=January 2023|reason=The administrative borders in this map are outdated or incorrect}}
==Embassies==
There are a number of embassies in Mohandiseen:
{{div col|colwidth=16em}}
* Burundi
* Cameroon
* Central African Republic
* Equatorial Guinea
* Eritrea
* Qatar
{{div col end}}
== Notable people ==
Notable people that were born or lived there:
* [[Amr Moussa]] (born 1936), Former Secretary-General of the [[Arab League]].
* [[Naguib Mahfouz]] (1911–2006), [[Nobel Prize in Literature]] [[Laureate]].
* [[Adel Emam]] (born 1940), Prominent Arab actor.
* [[Atef Ebeid]] (born 1932), Former Egyptian [[Prime Minister]].
* [[Ahmad Zaki (actor)|Ahmad Zaki]] (1949–2005), Prominent Egyptian actor.
* [[Amr Khalid]] (born 1967), Islamic [[Preacher]], ranked 6th most influential intellectual in the world by [[Prospect magazine]]
* [[Bassem Youssef (television host)|Bassem Youssef]] (born 1974), Television host
* [[Habib El Adly]] (1938–2011), The Former Minister of Interior.
* [[Hazem Salah Abu Ismail]] (born 1961), Prominent Islamist Politician, and Sheikh.
* [[Ali Salem]] (1936–2015), Playwright, author, and political commentator.
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{Commons category|Mohandessin}}
*{{wikivoyage-inline|Cairo/Dokki and Mohandiseen|Dokki and Mohandiseen}}
{{Giza}}
{{Districts of Cairo}}
[[Category:Districts of Giza]]